Dr. Seuss Enterprises Launches Babies Brand

Dr. Seuss Enterprises (DSE) has announced plans for a new brand featuring baby versions of classic Dr. Seuss characters that will delight and nurture the imagination of babies, while entertaining the entire family. The news was shared by Susan Brandt, president and chief executive officer, Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

This new brand will include a merchandising program featuring best-in-class partners in the infant and baby category as well as an interactive board book publishing program that combines simple rhyming text with bright illustrations to inspire a lifelong love of reading. Along with the new line of books and products, Dr. Seuss Babies characters will also make their debut in a collection of new shows called “Learn to Read.” The series is designed to develop phonic reading skills through sounds and letters. The first show will premiere Aug. 16 on Dr. Seuss’s YouTube channel.

The new Dr. Seuss Babies merchandising program has attracted a variety of licensed partners, including Playtex Babies, Hello Bello and Posh Peanut. The first products in the collection will include feeding solutions, diapers and onesies. Dr. Seuss Enterprises is in negotiations with several prospective licensees to further build out a curated global product pipeline in 2025.

As part of the announcement, Brandt spoke with License Global about the company’s new brand and how the idea for it came about.

“Dr. Seuss’s original stories and characters have delighted audiences of all ages for generations,” says Brandt. “Parents trust Dr. Seuss to deliver quality, educational and entertaining content and products for their families. We wanted to expand our offering to new parents by creating a range of slightly new characters that are perfect for babies, our own Dr. Seuss Babies. Dr. Seuss Babies is a new brand that parents can trust for their smallest of allest.”

Brandt shared that, like many new deals in the industry, plans had been taking shape for a while.

“Dr. Seuss Babies has been in development for a few years as we have worked purposefully to ensure that the new baby iterations of these beloved characters are a distinct blend of classic and adorable,” says Brandt. “Their looks and personalities were developed to subtly hint at the adult characters we know and love. Each baby is a sweet and adorable early version of their classic adult selves.” 

“Babies and toddlers love to discover the world around them,” continues Brandt. “Dr. Seuss Babies will help them explore, learn and laugh. Our hope is that this brand inspires and delights a new generation."

Also announced by Judith Haut, executive vice president, deputy publisher, Random House Children’s Books, the debut title in the board book series, “HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!,” will be published on Jan. 7, and celebrates a major life event for all families alongside a pint-size Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Thing Two.

"Happy First Birthday" book, Dr. Seuss Babies, Dr. Seuss Enterprises

The Dr. Seuss Babies publishing schedule will include two additional board books to be released in 2025 – “Mr. Brown On the Farm” in May and “Happy Grinchmas, Baby!” in September – and three more titles to follow in 2026. This publishing program encourages the littlest readers to explore everything from basic concepts to milestone moments with younger versions of the beloved Dr. Seuss characters as their guides and new, colorful art to capture the attention and imagination of babies and caregivers alike.

“We are so excited to bring this adorable new line of books to the youngest of Dr. Seuss fans,” says Alice Jonaitis, executive editor, Dr. Seuss Publishing. “With the eye-catching new art style, the beloved characters have become even more baby-friendly and will help nurture a love of reading at the earliest age.”    

In addition to the YouTube show, book and baby products, Brandt says there may be other areas or prospective partnerships for the new brand further down the line.

“We’re launching Dr. Seuss Babies with a strong foundational portfolio of content, entertainment, products and publishing,” says Brandt. “Our goal is to create a brand that new parents can trust, so we are carefully curating our partners. We are in discussions with several prospective partners and look forward to growing our portfolio both domestically and internationally.”